How Do I Build a Driveway?

[LarryD]

<font color="red"> There is very little rock in the soil. </font>

I'll trade you load for load for the glacial till on my property /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

As others have said, primary use needs to be considered before a plan can be devised. I should think if you talked to the local pit operator he would be able to advise you what to do based on budget and use...there are lots of possibilities.

If there is an outlet for surplus military supplies in the area, you might consider some of the old temporary runway matting. We have laid that down (just lay them end to end at wheel width) to move heavy equipment through sensitive (soft) areas. It's pretty durable stuff. I'm not sure what that would cost though as I was in the Navy and the base had some stockpiled...sure would have liked to lay my hands on some /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[jayiowa]

Thanks for all of the input. The driveway will be permanent. It will mainly be used on the weekends for quite a while. It will have to handle some construction traffic when we build the barn next year and a house in four to five years. It can be fairly rough for the forseeable future since we would always be taking a 4WD out there.

 

[firewoodman]

As the old, honest excavators around here say "high is dry". All material you remove will have to be replaced with bought material just to get back to ground level. All we do, unless traversing a swamp, is buy 2" crushed stone and use it to choke the topsoil. Over time it will push down, then apply processed road gravel or finer stone.

 

[JimR]

You say you have a mud problem there. Loam will do that to you when wet. I would remove the loam and sell it. Then use the money to buy your stone and gravel. Around here loam sells for much more than gravel does.

 

[RockRapidsDeere]

I'm guessing you have a lot of good black dirt. I just built a 450' drive in an old pasture. I had a lot of clay on site that we built up and packed with a sheeps foot. On top of that I put about 4" of black top millings. It's been done about 4 months, and is working great. No dust, and hard as a black top road.

 

[Soundguy]

Lots of parking lots around here use asphalt millings.. or reclaimed concrete.. works great..

Soundguy

 

[madozerman]

1000 feet is closing in on a quarter mile..If you are heading directly up or down a hill you are ok.If the land drains across the path of your drive (no matter how little),you are building a dam and have to install some type of pipe in the low spots to let water across.Multiple low areas can be ditched down the high side of the drive to the lowest point and then put in the proper size pipe to carry water under your drive.You must check out the lay of the land and not just your property.Even though it is reasonably level there could be hundreds of acres draining across your place.Standing water equals dead ground.